Here at Wild Horse Education (WHE) we get a lot of comments and emails asking how we cope with the stress of advocating for wild horses and burros. There are people that say they are afraid to watch videos and read posts. Many don’t understand how we can do what we do. Our VP Marta Williams is an author of several books including: Ask Your Animal, Beyond Words, and Learning Their Language. Marta offered to write a response. Thank you Marta.

Several people have called or written asking us for help on how to cope with what is happening to our wild herds. One person said she can’t sleep at night because she is having nightmares about the torture and suffering these animals are going through.

I often say Dickens got it wrong—our time is actually the worst of times. The truth is we will not be able to save all the wild horses and burros. All we can hope to do is stop the abuse, keep them in the wild, keep them out of the slaughter houses, and work toward some kind of relief for the ones taken from the wild, with perhaps some of them returned. That would be our best case scenario.

It is difficult in the extreme to deal with all that is happening to the animals and the earth and not go into denial, but rather keep moving forward, totally conscious of all that is wrong and bad. However, that is really the only option. Dr. Helen Caldecott, the well known nuclear activist, advises that the best way to deal with grief and despair about what is happening in the world is to get involved and do something to address what concerns you the most.

You will probably have to keep trying things out until you find the course of action that is right for you. When you find that, the anxiety and sleepless nights will at least lessen, because you will know you are doing the best you can to help change things. What you ultimately discover as your way of helping will be unique to you. I am now doing all I can to assist Wild Horse Education (WHE), and that is helping me sleep at night.

Naoto Matsumura, a rice farmer from the town of Tomioka, which is six miles away from the exploded Fukushima nuclear power plant, did something most of us couldn’t imagine. He went away when the power plant blew up, but could not sleep at night thinking about all the animals that had been abandoned in the town. Many were tied up, and many died of starvation. So he had to go back. Now he is the only person living in the town. He lives alone, knowing he is totally radioactive and will die from it. But he is content because he is helping the animals for as long as he can and they are not starving any more.

Laura Leigh, Founder of Wild Horse Education (WHE) followed her heart and ended up going on the road, devoting all her time, and often living out of a suitcase, in order to document, and ultimately change what BLM is doing to the wild horses and burros of America. Few people could do what she has done and continues to do, but this is what her heart requires of her.

For you, the right course of action may be writing letters every day for the causes you care about, or going to protests and public actions. Each of us has different skills and a different path. If you are not sure what it is you need to do to help, start asking to be shown what you are supposed to do. Then follow where your heart leads.

“Activism is my rent for living on the planet.” ~ Alice Walker

“Set Us Free” is a video of some BLM roundups in the year 2012. The video has a couple graphic images but is primarily a “fight song.” Turn up the volume and listen…

You can write to us at: WildHorseEducation@gmail.com or to Marta at: WHE.Action@gmail.com

Please make a call and share! These precious, endangered pups might not survive without their mother!

FROM: “Debra Gulley” shared Mexican gray wolves’s photo.

Via Mexican gray wolves: The USFWS is being overwhelmed with calls and emails to spare the Fox Mountain female wolf’s life, thanks to so many of you, so let’s keep it up! This is getting a lot of press as well, so let’s also keep the heat on with hundreds of letters to the editor condemning the decision to kill this mother wolf. Once you’ve made your calls and emails, all the info you need to submit a letter is at this link:

The USFWS is being overwhelmed with calls and emails to spare the Fox Mountain female wolf’s life, thanks to so many of you, so let’s keep it up! This is getting a lot of press as well, so let’s also keep the heat on with hundreds of letter…See More

Yesterday, while watering plants with harvested rain water in my sprinkling can, while I held the container high above the plant to simulate rain, a black-chinned hummingbird came by. These are beautiful, dark, small hummingbirds with violet colored throats. He came to drink from the “rain” fountain. I held the can as steady as I could, as he drank. At one point, he looked at me to see if it was safe to come closer. It was wonderful to hold his powerful direct gaze. Then he showered as the rain supply ran out and landed a few inches from my hand on the can and stayed a minute or so. He drank further from the droplets on the leaves, showing me his long tongue. We had a beautiful time enjoying the garden together. Later he told me he visits every day, since I have so many flowers in my garden (lots of salvia, penstemon, and other hummingbird providers). A gardener’s delight! What a special friend!

The Hachiko Coalition Page
April 22, 2011 marks the date that the No Go Zone closed to animal rescue groups and everyone. The zone closed to everyone with the exception of those that refused to leave the 0-20km zone. Mr. Naoto Matsumura is that exception. He has chosen to stay in Tomioka and live in his house surrounded by silence except for the noises from his animal menagerie. And menagerie it is. Mr. Matsumura feeds and cares for cats, dogs, and now many cows. He has been referred to as an old man in various media articles, but in reality he is only 52 years old. Mr. Matsumura was a rice farmer in his life before the Fukushima triple disaster. Today he is the lone inhabitant of Tomioka and spends his days taking care of the animals around him. Other groups and individuals have come together to assist Naoto in this monumental task and a temple of Zen monks from Fukushima and their association has been working with Naoto. We received work late yesterday through translators that Mr. Matsumura desperately needs hay. Hay in enormous amounts to feed cows that are in his care is urgently needed. Hay deliveries would be gratefully accepted at the Temple of Monks. The monks and Mr. Matsumura are in need of volunteers. More details click on the link below. Thank you Mr. Matsumura for your selfless dedication.